A Florida helicopter pilot is out of a job and under arrest after flying just a few feet above car tops, according to the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies say they were near West 192 in Kissimmee when they saw the low-flying aircraft.
They traced the helicopter to Orlando HeliTours where they spoke to a manager and learned the pilot’s name was Thomas Vorstman.
After he landed, deputies say they were unable to approach the chopper because Vorstman refused to leave his aircraft and would not shut down his engine.
They say Vorstman, 31, left in the aircraft with a group of passengers but returned about 5 minutes later.
He eventually met with deputies who said he explained he was flying low over traffic because he “had a heavy load.”
The helicopter company’s owner contradicted Vorstman’s explanation and fired him, according to the sheriff’s office.
Deputies arrested the pilot, booked him into the Osceola County Jail and charged him with operating an aircraft in a reckless manner and resisting without violence.
The Federal Aviation Administration was also notified.
